Princess Abante, House Spokesperson, Defends Speaker Martin Romualdez from Sen. Imee Marcos’ Criticisms
House spokesperson Princess Abante gave a message for the critics of Speaker Martin Romualdez following the remarks of Senator Imee Marcos.
Recently, presidential sister and Sen. Imee Marcos had new criticisms seemingly against Speaker Martin Romualdez and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos. Her remarks were made during a PH Independence Day event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Sen. Marcos joined the PH Independence Day celebration of the Filipino community in Malaysia together with Vice Pres. Sara Duterte and Sen. Robin Padilla. The event was after the Senate impeachment court decided to return the articles of impeachment against Duterte to the House of Representatives.
The lower chamber impeached the Vice President last February 5 after more than two-thirds of the lawmakers approved her ouster. Amid the speculations that she may run for president in 2028, while they were in Malaysia, Sen. Robin Padilla claimed that he will be the campaign manager of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte and Sen. Imee Marcos in 2028. The Vice president claimed she was also surprised by the statement of the Senator.
In Malaysia, Sen. Imee Marcos spoke against House Speaker Martin Romualdez and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos anew as she claimed that they are allegedly the “Lulong and Lalay” — names of crocodiles. The Presidential sister also claimed that billions of government funds were allegedly used for cash assistance during the elections or ayuda.
Recently, the House of Representatives defended Speaker Martin Romualdez following the criticisms and accusations of Sen. Imee Marcos. Based on a post on PhilStar, Princess Abante, the spokesperson of the lower chamber, stressed that it is allegedly clear that the Speaker is not showing any intention of running in the 2028 election.
“Malinaw po: wala sa kilos, pananalita, o gawain ni Speaker Romualdez ang pagtakbo sa 2028,” she said.
The House Spokesperson further stressed that Speaker Martin Romualdez is not seen in media to show off or in press conferences to boost his image. According to Abante, the Speaker is prioritizing the service to the Filipinos over his personal interest.
“Hindi siya nagpapakita sa media para magpasikat. Wala siyang presscon para magpabango. Hindi siya gumagamit ng TikTok o vlogs para magpa-cute. Ang inuuna niya ay serbisyo, hindi sariling interes,” the House spox said.
Based on the report, Princess Abante also said that Romualdez is known in making hard decisions and he won’t do it if he is thinking about the elections as he would allegedly want to avoid offending anyone. She stressed that personal attacks against the Speaker is heavy but the problems in the country bear more weight.
“Mabigat ang mga personal na banat. Pero mas mabigat ang mga isyung kinahaharap natin ngayon: katiwalian, kapabayaan, at maling paggamit ng pondo,” Abante said.
Based on the report, the House spokesperson also left a message for the critics of Speaker Martin Romualdez following the tirades of Sen. Imee Marcos against him. According to Abante, while they are allegedly busy making fun and refusing to take accountability, they are busy working.
“Habang abala kayo sa pagpapatawa at pagpapalusot, kami po ay abala sa trabaho. Tahimik man kami — hindi kami bulag. At hindi kami pipikit sa harap ng katiwalian,” she said.
The recent remark of the Presidential Sister was not her first tirade against the House Speaker and the First Lady. In a campaign ad for the 2025 Midterm Elections, Sen. Imee Marcos also took swipe at them as she claimed that the government now is “not a Marcos”.